1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of fishing, and more particularly relates to a fishing rod holder which can be attached to the top of a fisherman's tackle box.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Most fishermen that use rods encounter a situation where they desire to free up their hands while fishing, without pulling in their line. Some merely set their rod down wherever they happen to be, for example on the pier, in the boat, in the sand, or on the ground. However, there are disadvantages to this practice. A larger fish may bite and pull the rod into the water. Also, setting the rod in the sand or on the ground may result in dirt getting into the reel mechanism or on the grip, etc.
Various attempts have been made to devise a suitable device for holding fishing rods, but in general, the result has been something rather complex, larger, and/or limited in versatility. Many were limited as to the types of rods that could be adequately held, while others were limited in the types of situations and locations where they could be used.
Some holders were designed to be free standing, but these were generally large and inconvenient. They generally had to be carried and stored separately from the other fishing gear, as some were too large to be stored in even the larger tackle boxes, and even the smaller ones took up considerable space.
Many other of the prior art holders required attachment to something each time before use. Some were designed for attachment to a pier or the like, but in many locations, there would be no suitable place for attachment. Still others were designed for non-permanent attchment to a fishing tackle box, but the difficulty with these was that the holder generally had to be removed and/or disassembled each time before use. Many had to be disassembled or removed each time the tackle box was opened for the storage or removal of other supplies. And these also had to be separately carried and/or stored, or took up space in the box when not in use.
Other designs resulted in holders that were permanently attached to a tackle box. However, these were large, generally required set up prior to use, and had moving parts that could become improperly adjusted, broken, or worn out. Many had parts that were loose and not locked into a fixed position even after set up, and these parts had a tendency to get in the way, "hang up" on the rod, or otherwise make it difficult to get the rod into or out of the holders each time. And because these holders were generally large, they could not be used in the smaller boxes. Some had parts that protruded beyong the perimeter of the box, with the butt end of the fishing rod grip protruding still further out beyond the perimeter of the box, taking up even more room and being subject to being damaged when moving the box or positioning it. Still other were simply in the way when carrying the box.
In general then, these prior art holders that were designed for attachment to tackle boxes had many disadvantages. In addition to those mentioned above, other disadvantages include, for example, a tendency for the rod to rotate in the holder due to inadequate forces and torques being developed on the rod by the various parts to prevent the rod from rotating; small passges and openings making insertion and removal of the rod difficult, and in general the overall stability of the box/holder/rod combination was less than desired.